


Right Out Loud

by Salinas_333



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: Rebellion Era - All Media Types, Star Wars: Rebels
Genre: Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff, Gifts, KaneraWeek2020, Love Languages, Quality Time, Show of Support, Song Inspired, Tumblr Prompt, Words of Affirmation, acts of service
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-01
Updated: 2020-09-01
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:40:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,331
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26229571
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Salinas_333/pseuds/Salinas_333
Summary: "To say I love you, right out loud" --Joni Mitchell, Both Sides NowKanera Week 2020, Day 3 Prompt: love languages/show of support, song inspired
Relationships: Kanan Jarrus/Hera Syndulla
Comments: 5
Kudos: 25
Collections: Kanera Week 2020





	Right Out Loud

**Author's Note:**

> Each person has a love language for giving love and receiving love. I tried to incorporate each of their specific love languages into the piece as a whole. 
> 
> Hera – Giving: acts of service, Receiving: words of affirmation  
> Kanan - Giving: gifts, Receiving: quality time
> 
> I hope you enjoy!

Everything had to be perfect—for her. 

Kanan left no detail unchecked in their room as he prepped for Hera’s surprise. He knew she didn’t like surprises, so he was already going out on a limb to make her happy. Recently, she’d been blaming herself for losing her family’s Kalikori to Thrawn. She hated that such an intimate piece of her history was in the filthy blue hands of the admiral, and so did Kanan. It was a violation of her identity. 

It didn’t help that they hadn’t been able to spend much time together. 

Kanan was willing to do anything to make her face light up with the beautiful smile she reserved for those moments in which she felt truly safe: with her family, those she loved and trusted. It only hurt him that he wouldn’t be able to see it. 

The kids were away, which left the Ghost all to themselves (a fact which had a lot to do with certain insistence from Kanan that they give Chopper a good thorough cleaning and paint job—on Lothal). 

He had been planning this elaborate surprise for weeks, with help only from Sabine—the only one he trusted to keep a secret. The best thing for Hera would be a nice, relaxing evening with some much-needed self-care and good night’s rest. The goal was to turn their room into a safe haven, a spa, and a place of beauty. Sabine also had the best artistic ability. He trusted her to give the room a relaxing and aesthetically pleasing atmosphere. Candles were lit, the lights dimmed, colorful swirls of blue and purple rolled along the walls. The sheets were a special blend of nerf wool that he had picked up from a slightly sketchy vendor. To Kanan, they felt like what he thought clouds would feel like as a little boy at the Jedi temple. Unfortunately, he now knew better. 

Bottles of expensive lotions and oils sat ready to be massaged into her gorgeous green skin… Kanan needed to focus. He only had so much time before they jumped into hyperspace and Hera would leave the Ghost to autopilot and come looking for him. 

The main part of her gift was a necklace he had made for her by hand. It was nothing ostentatious, but involved a bit of silk attached to a small, blue gemstone. Blue was her favorite color—the way the stars melted into streaks of it at the start of a jump to hyperspace. This piece he had kept even from Sabine. He was nervous that she wouldn’t want to wear it: she hated drawing attention to herself by way of looks. 

Just as he was nestling it among the soft sheets, he heard her tired footsteps echoing down the hallway. He quickly exited their room and shut the door behind him to find himself face to face with her. 

“Hey,” she said quietly. “I was wondering where you’d run off to. Started to think you didn’t want to hang out with me.” Her sad chuckle broke his heart, and for a split second he wondered if this was a good idea. She needed him by her side, trusted him to be there. 

But he quickly shook his head. “Being with you is the best part of my life. But I’m hoping these moments away from each other will make all of this stress and frustration worth it.” At his admission, she flushed a darker green he couldn’t see. She was about to ask where this was coming from, but before she could speak, he said, “Do you trust me, Hera?” 

The sincere look she gave him pushed through a layer of utter defeat and lit up her force signature with affection and told him everything he needed to know. Her gentle “of course” sent a shiver down his spine, and he had to shift on his feet to hide it. 

“Close your eyes.” 

He moved behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders and opened the door. They made an interesting picture as they moved inside their room; the blind guiding the sighted. As soon as the door shut behind them, Kanan asked, “Are you ready?” 

“What is this, Kanan?” she replied, confused. He only told her to open her eyes. He heard a small intake of breath that confirmed she had, and a nervous smile found its way to his lips. 

“I know how hard things have been for us lately, and it’s taken a toll on you especially. You’re always so strong, and it’s part of what I admire so much about you. There’s nothing more that you deserve than a chance to let your guard down, and I hope you know that I will always be here to protect you when you do. You are the most amazing, resilient person I’ve ever met.” 

When she turned to face him, there were tears in her eyes. Kanan sensed them and reached up a hand to brush them away. His fingers lingered on her cheek and she leaned into the touch, bringing her hand atop his and cradling it. “Thank you,” she croaked out, and they both chuckled shyly as her voice cracked. 

Kanan gave her a second to let her voice come back, but before long she asked incredulously, “When did you find the time to do all this? Is this why the kids are cleaning Chopper? Oh, Kanan. You are very sly.” He could only give her a toothy grin as she swatted his arm, reminding him of the Hera he loved in the moments when she could be herself. 

“Really, it’s wonderful. I can’t tell you how thoughtful this is…” She trailed off, trying to find the right words to tell him how much she needed this, how much it warmed her heart. 

“Shh, I know,” he assured her. “Just relax. That’s the idea. Take a look around.” He stood back as she walked around the room, admiring the art, the candles, the bottles of sweet scents. She ran her hands over the nerf wool sheets and let out an approving hum. Again, she let out a short gasp when she saw the necklace. 

“Kanan, it’s beautiful.” He walked toward her. “I made it for you.” 

“You made this?” she picked it up and looked at it with awe as her other hand found his. “Will you put it on me?” 

All of his nervousness melted at her simple request. They sat down on the bed and she turned away from him so he could secure the choker around her neck. Fireworks went off inside her skin where his fingers brushed her. They lay back on the bed and Kanan held her in his arms; she snuggled up against him as they both let out sighs of contentment. 

Kanan placed a kiss to the top of her head and said, “Now you have to spend some quality time with me—no interruptions.” 

She giggled and said into his chest, “Only if you let me rub some of these oils on you, too.” Kanan’s cheeks heated at that, and he tried to remind himself this was only about her. But their combined pleasure was still her pleasure, right? 

“You are going to be the death of me, Hera Syndulla.” She looked up into his face, at his milky white eyes, staring past them into this truly wonderful person she’d found, somehow. 

“What did I do to deserve you?” 

There was a short pause, as he considered his next words, carefully. 

“You deserve the universe, and more, love. Never forget that.” 

The hum of the ship continued underneath the sounds of bashful amusement and lighthearted jesting. As the Ghost barreled along the heavens at lightspeed, the only worry on Hera Syndulla’s mind was what she was going to do for Kanan to, without saying it aloud, show him how much she was in love with him. But it was a worry for another day.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed this piece, it was a lot of fun to write. 
> 
> My star wars tumblr is suburbanstarwars, come check me out!


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